Extended field-of-view sonography: utility in clinical practice.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of real-time extended field-of view sonography in clinical practice (i.e., the frequency of use in various body systems, the frequency of use by different sonographers, and the benefits and drawbacks in comparison to conventional real-time sonography). The use of extended field-of-view sonography was monitored for a 6 month period. The pattern of usage among different sonographers and for different body systems was documented. Extended field-of-view sonography was utilized in 26.5% of patients. In comparison, color Doppler sonography was used in 23.2% of patients. Utilization of extended field-of-view sonography varied significantly among sonographers and among different body systems. Extended field-of-view sonography allowed measurement of large structures and revealed the anatomic context of abnormalities in circumstances under which conventional real-time scans could not provide this information.